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The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has stepped in to ensure the safety of the crocodiles that have been recaptured from the Rathom farm at Pontdrift on the Limpopo River. Thousands of crocodiles escaped from dams on the farm during the flooding in Limpopo last week.

Police in Zimbabwe, on the other side of the Limpopo River, have issued warnings to people to avoid going into the water because of the crocodile threat. This as the search for thousands of crocodiles intensifies. The crocodiles were swept away from a crocodile farm in the Prondrift area in Limpopo.

Crocodile farmers and locals with the police monitoring the situation have trapped thousands of the reptiles. The flood gates were opened at the Rakwena Crocodile Farm close to the Botswana and Zimbabwe borders last week, because it was feared that rising flood waters would crush the reptiles. 15 000 crocodiles then escaped into the river.

Farm manager Zane Langman says about 3000 crocodiles have been recaptured so far. "All of the crocodiles that we've captured have been on the farm at the moment except maybe one or two that strayed outside the fence."

We're basically here to ensure that the crocks being caught are in the most humane method that they can be caught in and that their welfare is not compromised.

The SPCA says the wellbeing of the crocodiles should be a priority.

National Inspector Nazareth Appalsamy says, "We're basically here to ensure that the crocks being caught are in the most humane method that they can be caught in and that their welfare is not compromised."

The SPCA says the farm is situated far from any communities and that it doesn’t expect the crocodiles to stray any further than the Limpopo River.-Additional reporting by Sapa.